62 CHAMOIS HUNTING. 



latschen came a long broad strip of loose stones, some 

 hundred feet in width. 



On going along at the foot of this geroll, Berger 

 suddenly stopped ; and dropping behind a large block 

 of stone, whispered, " There's a chamois !" High up 

 among the debris a black spot was visible, and this 

 was the chamois. We saw by our glasses that it was 

 a yearling buck, and for a time watched him at our 

 ease, as we lay on the ground protected by the frag- 

 ment of fallen rock. It stood at gaze for a moment. 



" Does it see us ?" I asked ; " does it look this 

 way?" 



" No," said Berger ; " but the thing is, how to get 

 near it. Up the stones we can't go it will make 

 too much noise; and if we cross over the crest of 

 the mountain, and so work down towards him, it will 

 be too far to fire. If we could only get up through 

 the latschen ! but I fear it is impossible, he would 

 be sure to see us. However, let us try : be still, very 

 still." 



We were just on the point of making the attempt, 

 when, on looking round to scan the sides of the Iloth 

 Wand, I saw a chamois about five hundred feet below 

 the summit, on a green spot quite free from snow, 

 and at the foot of a wall of rock. " Hist, Berger ! 

 there are chamois !" 



"Where?" 



" Look up yonder ; don't you see them ?" 



"No." 



" Look, don't you see a black spot, right across 



